Fate (On Hiatus)
by Andie Michelle
Summary: After the war half the British wizarding population was lost, so to help grow the number of people the Ministry has decided to enact Marriage Law 0299. This law means no pureblood can marry one another and no one will be exempted from the law. Formerly known as Unenchanted.
1. Chapter 1

Marriage Law Enacted by Minister of Magic

Earlier this week the ministry has been surrounded by rumors of Marriage Law 0299 which is supposedly going to help with the recent loss of over 45% of the British wizarding population. The Minister gave no comment on how the law was going to be handled ,all that is know is that witches and wizards fifteen through forty-six are eligible to the law they will receive letters containing the complete information and their partners name for the new step in their life.

'Just what I needed' I thought as I finally realized why my parents had been acting so strange around me for the last few weeks. They must have known, hell they must have given the bloody idea.

"Mum, why would you let them approve this rubbish?" I asked

"I tried my best, but the Minister was put on having it enacted." She answered

I frowned at her " You do realize that I'm going to be affected by this law, and that means that I'll be forced to marry a stranger and have children with him"

"Ophelia you do realize that you were going to get married and have kids one day, right? It's just happening earlier than you thought it would"

"Yes, because I always dreamt of getting married to a stranger, who could be a psycho, and also I'm sixteen." I answered back.

"Just run along, we'll talk about this later" she sighed.

"You know you always do this"

"Do what?"

"Make yourself look like a strong person but when the going gets tough you always give up and when you know that there's no way to get out of the problem, which was caused by you and only you."

"This has got to be a joke" said Draco has he re-read the article over again. The pale platinum blonde could not believe what he was reading, this was certainly the dumbest thing he had ever read.

"What is?" asked Blaise, he had known that something like this was going to happen but decided to give his best friend the pleasure of finding out on his own.

Draco sighed and looked at his friend "You knew something was going to happen, didn't you?"

"If I had told you it was obvious that you were going to leave Britain and lose connection with your mother, because once you leave you won't be able to come back unless you're married or here on business."

So in other words you stay and suffer the consequences of an unwanted marriage and children or you leave and never come back until the law is repelled" said Draco

"Yeah, I mean sure it's not ideal to get married right now, but better that than leaving your whole life behind you."

"Why do you always have to be right?" asked Draco with an annoyed look that was directed toward the newspaper he held in his hands.

The tension could be felt in the vast library located in Draco's wing of the manor. Both men were clearly stressed from the situation at hand, it was obvious to them that their lives were going to change and it wasn't for the good of any affected by this stupid Marriage knew that they were still seen as Death Eaters even though they were only used to lure in more followers for Voldemort.

"You know something good might come out of this if you try to make it work with whoever you end up with." Murmured Blaise, the Italian had always tried to see the good in every situation but right now nothing he could think was close to that. "Maybe will be paired up with someone we can at least deal with at a daily basis."

"Considering the bad luck our lives have been cursed with their really is a slim chance of that will probably get stuck with airheads that either hate us or want us for our money, I only hope that my partner likes to be quiet and act like they don't exist."

It was nearing three in the afternoon when my letter came, delivered by a ministry owl which I think was probably desperate to do its job to get back home. As I opened my letter it finally dawned on me that I was holding my own future in my hands. The letter said:

_Miss Ophelia Claire Ashworth,_

_Marriage Law 0299 has been enacted and all fifteen through forty-six year olds who are not married are to be engaged in this law. This law is supposed to help the British Wizarding world which was the most affected by the war._

_The following rules are the ones both partners are to follow, if not both can be punished by being sentenced to Azkaban for a minimum of ten years._

will have till August 20 to get married.

will have up to a year after the wedding to conceive a child, if anyone fails to do so both partners will be brought in for a medical examination to determine if either one of them has reproductive restrictions.

3\. A second child must be brought forth two years after the first birth.

4\. Partners will have to sleep in the same bed and will perform coitus twice a week.

wizard or muggle contraception will be accepted, this is to ensure that a child will be produced.

Your partner is _Draco Lucius Malfoy_, the both of you shall have a meeting with the Head of Marriage Law 0299 on Monday, July 13.

Wishing you a well marriage,

_Minister Shacklebolt_

I only had two days before I met with the man who was going to be my husband and future father to the children I'm sure that I don't want.

"Why must I always get stuck with the person that I never knew existed" I sighed as I thought of how my future husband was reacting to this stupid marriage law. Just as I was coming to the possible ways to get out of this marriage, there was a knock on my bedroom door.

"Who is it?"

"Your mother and I know that you received your letter, we wanted you to know that we love you and will back you up every step of the way" said my father

"You just want to know who I got stuck with don't you? " I asked

"Well since you asked, why not tell me now and we'll tell your mother later?"

"Fine… I got Draco Malfoy" I sighed looking at my father with a bored expression on my face.

"Draco Malfoy? As in the Death Eater who tried to kill Dumbledore?"

So that was the first chapter. Please leave a comment, also give me suggestions on how I can better the story for you guys.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I'm telling you that this has got to be a mistake, she can't be paired up with that criminal" I heard my father say to my mother.

"You know there's no mistake, the matches were chosen upon magical and brain performance. We should have expected that she would be paired up with people like him" said my mother to my obviously worried father.

"I get that we should have expected this to happen, but come on she doesn't deserve to be stuck with one of Vol- You-Know-Who's followers. He's probably going to use her to try to bring back their leader by sacrificing her on their honeymoon."

"You really do need to calm down, come I'll make tea for both of then we'll talk to Penelope together" said my mother before walking out of the room and out of my sight.

I hate it when my parents do this to me, always trying to solve my problems instead of letting me do it on my own. This is also why I have no friends, they forced me to make friends with people who think they're better than me because of their blood status. My parents have always been like this 'do this, do that; don't ask why'.

"Mother do you know who Ophelia Claire Ashworth is?" Draco asked to his mother, while walking into the sun room.

"No I don't, but I've heard that last name before. I might have heard it around the Ministry, why do you ask?" asked his mother, blonde hair pinned up into a fancy bun on top of her head.

"Because that is the girl which the Ministry is obligating me to marry, no doubt she must be younger than me considering I've never heard of her before at Hogwarts"

"Oh, now I remember her parents work at the Ministry, her mother I think works in the Department of Magical Conduct and her father is the Ministers Secretary" Narcissa said out of the blue. "They're nice people so their daughter must be to."

"Yeah well I hope so because we have a meeting with the Head of this stupid marriage law, probably to establish a wedding date and whatever else there is to be said and planned." said Draco hoping that his mother was right and that this girl wouldn't make his life a living hell.

"Don't worry about how she is right now, think on how you're going to present yourself to her, also are you going to give her one of the Malfoy heirlooms as her engagement gift or are you going to buy her one?" asked Narcissa with a hopeful look that said that she wanted him to pick the first choice.

"It'll be cheaper and easier to get something out of the vault and gift it to her. I'll go over to Gringotts tomorrow and pick something out"

"Please treat her well Draco, you know that people still think of our family as followers of Voldemort. Our family doesn't need anymore more bad things said about us." said his mother with a pleading look in her grey eyes.

"I promise that I will treat this girl with utter respect in hope of restoring our family name and making us seem like seemly normal people."

"That's all I ask of you" said Narcissa, "Now do you plan on proposing to her or just throwing the ring on her hand and letting what happens happen?"

I stayed in my room all day, I didn't even get up from bed just laid their thinking how on just a few days my life was going to change and not in the direction I wanted it to. As I laid their there was a knock at my door.

"Come in" I said knowing that it was my mother at the door.

I heard the door open and close before feeling someone sit down next to me on the bed, which may I say was a horrible mess.

"You shouldn't stay in bed all day, it's not good for you. I know that you you're not happy about this and neither is your father or me, but don't make yourself suffer because of this. Just see it as something that can make your life better if you try to make it something good." said my mother

"I really don't know where the good is in this dilemma created by the Ministry in an attempt to make our lives "better". I said, sitting up on my bed to give by mother more space.

"Why don't I order Pixie to get us some tea and we'll have a mother-daughter conversation about what's going through that big mind of yours and see how to calm your insecurities."

"Tea won't fix anything mother and I really don't want to talk about my feelings and such. Just let me wallow in my self-pity till I come to my senses and get my head on straight." I said sighing while looking out my window into the small lake filled with Lily pads and ducks.

"Don't talk to me with that tone Ophelia Claire Ashworth! We will have a mother-daughter conversation and solve the way your feelings are affecting your life whether you like it or not." I stared back at her, giving her my 'I hate you' face.

"Okay, now go to the bathroom clean up and when you're done come back here before I bring you back myself." said mum with a mocking glare on her face.

As I got up from the bed and started padding quietly to the bathroom I heard my mother call for Pixie telling her to bring tea for the both of us. The bathroom was as always cold and boring with its black and white theme, it's also way too big for my liking with an oversized bathtub made of quartz surrounded by walls constructed from granite. While the tub was filling up with water smelling like mint and lemons I started to think as to why my mother has suddenly taken an interest in my feelings and what could have caused her sudden change of heart. Climbing into the tub my mind started to wander off and before I knew it my mother was shaking me awake making me fall under the water for a few seconds.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you? I've been calling your name for the past twenty-five minutes and I find you here looking like your dead. What did I do to deserve a child like this? If you didn't want to talk with me about your problems than maybe you should have said so rather than trying to drown yourself."

"Just so you know I wasn't trying to commit suicide, okay? Also I fell asleep there was no intention in dying and just so you know even if I had tried to tell you no, which I did, you wouldn't have paid attention to me." I said getting out of the bathtub and covering myself with my grey robe and hurriedly walking into my oversized walk-in closet picking out a comfortable dress and socks.

"If you have nothing else tell me then please exit my room and let me be alone" I told my mother as my body settled back onto the mattress and pillows closing my eyes as I heard my door open and close.

_Currently updating and revising the story._

_Please leave a comment, they help me feel motivated._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

When Monday came around I felt the dread starting to grow in me it wasn't because of the meeting, no, it was because of who I was about to meet. After I woke up it was decided by my brain and laziness that I was going to lay in bed until my mother came in either assuming I escaped or that her child was dead. Either of those assumptions would affect or offend me in any which way. I didn't notice that I had once again fallen asleep until my mother was shaking me awake, telling me that we were going to be late to the meeting with the Head of the Marriage Law.

"You know we don't have to go, we can just escape the country until the law is overturned and live our lives happily." I said groggily to my mother, who was already in my closet looking for something that would "impress and wow" this Draco guy. It's really weird to see my mother acting like this considering that two days ago she was against me marrying this guy or how she put it "Death Eater who probably has no manners."

"If we leave we wouldn't be able to take anything of value with us and we would be granted a fine of 200,000 galleons per person. Also your father and I would lose our jobs and be labeled unstable for another job opportunity in other countries." she answered pulling semi-formal peach colored robes from my closet.

"Why do you always think things through when there's a negative outcome?" I asked my mother getting up from the bed and picking the clothes off her hands.

"Let's stop this discussion, why don't I go get us some tea and porridge while you go and get ready. Also stop trying to find a way out of this, you know there's nothing we can do to stop this from happening." she said while leaving my bedroom so that I could have my privacy.

* * *

"Shouldn't you be getting ready to leave for the meeting with the the Head of the Marriage Law and Ophelia?" asked my mother standing in the doorway of my bedroom.

"I should, but I've decided to leave till the last minute. Getting their late means the meeting will have to be cut short and that would mean less time I have to spend with those two individuals, Mother." I said huffing at the thought of having to go meet this girl, which would either be a stuck up or a complete air head.

"Well you should start getting ready, the first meeting is the only time when you can give a good first impression to your future spouse. Also you should look as dashing and handsome as you usually are, when you aren't acting like a daft boy." said my mother while pushing me in the direction of my walk-in closet, which was filled with black and grey clothing with the exception of my white dress shirts.

"Why should it matter if I make a good impression to this girl, she probably won't even care about my looks." I said looking around trying to find something apropriate to wear to this forsaken meeting.

"You should go with a relaxed looked but also a bit fancy, so why not go with this and this." said mother while pulling off the rack a white dress shirt and a pair of dress pants and handing them to me while looking for a pair of shoes. "There, now go get dressed and I'll got order Fanny to get us some tea"

As I followed my mother's orders and started getting dressed I could hear her talking to Fanny. As I finished putting my shoes on my mother came back into the room carrying a tray with two tea cups.

"Draco you have at least two minutes to leave this house and arrive at the Ministry on time for your meeting so I recomend you drink the tea and stop trying to stall." said my mother while setting the tray on my bedside table and handing one of the tea cups.

"Okay, and just so you know if I don't return home don't get worried." I said to my mother while reaching for the cup, downing the tea in just one sip I put it back unto the tray and kissed my mother goodbye.

"Good luck and please act like a gentleman." said mother while waving me goodbye.

* * *

After I arrived at the Ministry the first thing I did was look for the Head of the Marriage Laws office, after locating it and registering my arrival to the secretary stationed at the waiting room I was told to sit down and wait until my partner arrived.

It was a pretty boring waiting room, no windows on the walls, just a stack of old magazine. I sat there waiting for at least forty minutes almost falling asleep when someone came into the waiting room. The secretary had him go through the same process as me, ten minutes later the door to the Head's office opened and I heard both my partners name and mine. Standing up I didn't notice the tall blonde walking up behind me before the sound of the door closing slightly echoed through out the almost too large office filled to the brim with stacks of official looking papers.

"Sit down" said the Head before sitting behind his big desk. He was probably in his mid 50s, he had a resceding hairline which didn't help him look any better because the only thing that came to mind when I got a full view of his face was that he looked like a gargoyle and a human had a child together.

"So we should start by introducing ourselves, I'll start. My name is Gregoriann Augusto, I'm fifty-six years old, I've been married for 25 years and my wife and I have three children two boys and one girl."said Gregoriann with a smile that seemed more disturbing than comforting. "Now why don't you introduce yourself Draco?"

I looked at the pale blonde sitting next to me and the first thing that I noticed was that he looked older than me.

"My name is Draco Lucius Malfoy, I'm twenty-five years old, um I come from a Pureblood family and I have a tendency to get a bad reputation among my generation. I also hate the fact that I'm being forced to marry a stranger." said Draco while looking thouroughly bored.

"My name is Ophelia Claire Ashworth, I'm sixteen years old I like to read, I like to be alone, I also don't like social interaction. I've been told that I'm awkward and everyone my age considers me a freak of nature for not having friends." I say hurridly. I get weird looks from both men in the room and one from a portrait of a woman.

"So now that we've introduced ourselves we can start planning everything out. You need to pick a wedding date in-between tomorrow and the 20th of August, after the wedding you will have to consummate the marriage that same night and you will have a year to get pregnant with your first child. If a child cannot be conceived within the first year then both of you will have a medical examinations to check if everything is alright with your bodies." said Gregorrian looking at a file with both are names on it.

"I don't care when it is, better to get it over with and have the wedding tomorrow" I said looking around the office noticing a family portrait. "No use in stalling it's going to happen wether we want it or not, so there's no use in pushing it till the end."

"Yeah, I'm with her on that" said Draco while standind up and walking to the door.

"Don't leave just yet, both of you have to be here at exactly ten-thirty and you also have to spend time together today so that you can get to know eachother"said Gregoriann while closing our file and placing it inside a drawer overpilled with more papers. "You can leave now"

* * *

**Comment any questions or anything that you're thinking about the story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

"So I take it that you like to read, right?" said Draco looking at me with a hard gaze, which would have made any other girl faint from excitement.

"Yes, books are the only things that can't criticize me." I said taking a sip from my cup of water

"At the manor we have three large libraries with any kind of book you can ever think of. With you being in the libraries half of the time we won't have to spend anytime together, except for when we have to you know" said Draco, while making awkward gestures with his hands.

"Hmm" I wish this wasn't happening, I did not want to talk about this with this stranger.

"If you don't mind I would like for you to meet my mother. Better to get it over today, since you will start to live at the Manor with both of us tomorrow after the ceremony." said Draco standing up and dusting off his pants.

Finishing my water I stand up and grab my jacket from the back of the chair, but end up knocking my water glass over the table, I started to use my jacket to dry up the mess when Draco started to do the same thing. In that moment I noticed something that looked like a tattoo on Draco's arm, I then remembered what my father had told me about Draco being a Death Eater. After finally drying the table and Draco paid the tab I followed him out of the cafe with anxiousness building up in my chest.

Arriving at the Manor actually calmed my nerves of introducing Ophelia to my mother, it was going to be an awkward meeting. I told Ophelia to sit down on the couch inside of the main family room while I went to go find my mother and tell her that we had arrived.

"Mother I brought Ophelia over so that the two of could meet" I said to mother as she hugged me

"So since she's here I can assume everything went okay with your meeting and that you acted like a gentleman towards her, right?" she asked me as we started to walk to the family room.

"Yes everything went well with the meeting, we're actually getting married tomorrow. I thought it'd be better if you two met today instead of having a last minute meeting" said mother as we arrived at the door that separated us from Penelope.

As we entered the family I could actually feel my mother vibrating with excitement next to me, she literally went running to where Penelope was seated.

"Hello, I'm Narcissa. Oh, it's so good to finally meet you I've waiting for this moment for so long" said mother to Penelope. "You are a beauty, my Draco is lucky to have gotten paired with you, both of you will have the most beautiful children the wizarding world will have ever seen."

"Thank you, I think and it's an honor to meet you Mrs. Malfoy. You have a very lovely home from what I've seen so far." said Ophelia with a sweet expression on her face as she complimented my mother, who had surprisingly gotten a like this girl faster than I thought.

"No need for formalities please, call me Narcissa. I've been told by Draco that you've decided to get married tomorrow, which means that you will start living here after the ceremony, which would be at what hour and where?" asks my mother sitting down next to Penelope and motioning me to sit down too.

"The ceremony would be held at the Head of the Marriage Laws office tomorrow at ten-thirty" I answered.

"Will you invite anyone and will you were nice clothes appropriate for a wedding? Please tell me that you're going to wear nice clothing, please promise me that." plead to us mother, Ophelia just looked at my mother with an expression of angstw.

"Mother, no one will be invited it will only be the two of us and Gregorriann Augusto, and no we will not wear nice clothes." I answered stiffly.

"Don't talk to me that way Draco." said mother, after giving me a look that could kill.

"Okay mother I think it's time that Penelope goes home so say goodbye and you will get to see her tomorrow." I said standing up and going to see if there was enough floo powder.

"Goodbye Narcissa it was nice meeting you" said Ophelia while hugging my mother goodbye.

"It was nice meeting you too Penelope, I'll see you tomorrow after the ceremony. Bring your parents over so that we can meet each other and have dinner together" said mother

"Okay, now that you've said goodbye, Ophelia here's the floo powder and have a nice night." pushing Ophelia towards the floo network.

After she left I went to my room, grabbing a bottle of scotch on my way, locked the door to my room and wallowed in my own pity.

* * *

After I arrived home the first thing I did was go to my room, as my mother's footsteps could be heard on the floor above me running towards the floo, probably to bother me about what happened today.

It was known at my house that when something big happened to one of us mother would be the first one to interrogate us, just so that she could tell her lady friends in their weekly afternoon tea party. So as I closed the door to my room my mother started to call my name in vain hope that I would come to her, luckily that wasn't the case as my door was already closed and locked and guarded by the many security charms that I always remember to activate.

I wish I could have a normal life, one that wasn't filled with the stupid ministry and death eaters.

As I started to change to my night clothes I remembered that my wedding to that Death Eater was tomorrow morning and that I don't even have anything closely formal but casual to wear. Sure we had said no to fancy wedding clothes but that doesn't mean I can't look decent for the only wedding I'll ever have. I was lucky that my mother wouldn't know anything of this until after the whole thing was signed and sealed on its way to the ministry's files and my name be scratched off the list of single people.

The only thing that I was regretting was the wedding night, it would surely be horrible, I imagine that he would tie me to the bed and force himself on me. The ministry might be trying to do a good thing with this law, in their eyes, but they didn't think of the people who would be abused by their spouses each and every night for the rest of their lives.

All I could hope for was that he would kill me before I could get pregnant with his child, if not then I would have to kill myself before I brought any more Malfoy heirs into this world.

"Ophelia, I know you're in there don't make me get your father to blow this door down. Please just let me in I would like to know how your meeting with Draco went." said my mother in what she calls her angry tone, but it's really just her normal voice way more pitchier than normal.

"Mother will you please leave me alone. I promise that I'll tell you everything that happened today tomorrow at breakfast." I said hoping that she would like that option and leave me alone.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone but remember to tell us what happened, OK?" asked mother, sounding exasperated.

"Yeah, yeah." I said getting into bed. I cannot believe that tomorrow I'm going to be married to a man that is almost half my age.

* * *

**To anyone who is wondering Narcissa is a widow, Lucius died after an attack against some run away death eaters.**

**As always leave me a comment, they inspire me!**


	5. Hiatus

I am going to put the story on an _indefinite hiatus_. I have been suffering from writer's block these last few months, school has me stressed with the amount of projects and exams that are given to me every week and the fact that I'm building my campaign for Student Council Vice President has also taken up my time.

I feel so bad that I have not updated in a long time, hopefully you will all understand my reasons for the hiatus.

_I hope to start updating again at the end of May, by then I will have finished final exams._

**Love, Andie Michelle **


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